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which country did bagels originate from?

Bagels originated in what is now Poland, particularly within Jewish communities in cities like Kraków.

Quick answer

Most food historians trace the origin of the bagel to Jewish communities in Poland , in Eastern Europe. The first clear written mention appears in early 17th‑century Kraków regulations, where bagels were listed as gifts given to women after childbirth.

A bit of background

  • The early bagel (often called “beygel”) was a boiled‑then‑baked ring of dough, making it chewy, shiny, and sturdy enough to store and transport.
  • Over time it became a common bread in Polish Jewish communities, symbolically linked to continuity and life because of its circular shape.

From Poland to the world

  • Jewish immigrants later brought bagels from Poland to places like New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where the modern “New York bagel” developed.
  • Today many people associate bagels with the United States, but their origin country is Poland.

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